CasaSugar

Does Interior Design Take Priority at Your Coffee Shop?

CasaSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:01:55 -0800

According to the Herald Tribune, in addition to its new/old logo, Starbucks is undergoing a design overhaul of its interiors. The java monopolist has brought back designer/architect Arthur Rubinfeld to his old post to change things up. Rubinfeld has presented a new design, which may include, "energy-efficient lighting, new furniture using reclaimed materials, and modular merchandising racks, [as well as] new paintings that evoke the company's coffee heritage." I'm sure Starbucks knows what it's doing, so I don't doubt the changes will be beneficial. I'm curious, though, whether a coffee shop's design influences whether or not you'll order a latte. Does design influence your preferences out of the home?

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Casa Quickie: Coffee Grinder Two-in-One Tip

CasaSugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:00:32 -0700

If your coffee grinder is coated with coffee bean residue, or if it's suffering from dull blades, there's an easy solution. Grind up a cup of uncooked white rice in your coffee grinder. Not only will it clean the grinder, it will also sharpen its blades.

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How-To: Removing Tea and Coffee Stains From Cups

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:15:37 -0700

I like to collect coffee mugs from all the previous incarnations of myself (jobs, vacations). But you might have noticed that tea and coffee tend to leave not-so-pretty stains on ceramic cups. So, I wind up with a lot to clean. Luckily, it's actually fairly simply to whiten my collection, and the task doesn't require a big smelly jug of Clorox.

Just fill the tainted cup with warm water and drop in a denture-cleaning tablet like Fixodent. Once the tablet stops fizzing, it will be whitened, and the tablet will also kill away bacteria. Want your toilet bowl to sparkle too? The tablet works on porcelain toilets too; just drop it in, let it fizz, and flush! Don't have denture tablets around? You can also use white vinegar to do the trick!

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Casa Quickie: Coffee Stain Removal

CasaSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:00:04 -0700

Spilling coffee on a freshly dry-cleaned shirt during the morning rush is unfortunately such a recurring mishap for many of us that it's almost a cliché. Seriously — how many Kate Hudson/JLo/Sandra Bullock romantic comedies can you think of where it's a pivotal scene to the plot? If these chick-flick chicks had just had a little advice from yours truly (well, actually from Do It Yourself), they'd have won the guy, the ring, and popped out a first born well before the popcorn intermission. To hear how to send coffee stains to the curb, read more.
Be it a coffee mug or a faulty Starbucks lid, whenever you spill, just make sure you don't allow the stain to dry. Blot the spill with a clean white rag or paper towel to soak up the liquid. Then, mix a teaspoon of dishwashing soap with a cup of lukewarm water, dab it on, and blot the area again. Then mix one-third of a cup of vinegar (white) with two-thirds of a cup of lukewarm water, dab it on, and blot the area again. Rinse, and then follow your normal washing routine for the item. Then, next time, try sitting down for your caffeine fix for a change.
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Cool Idea: Bentwood Strays From Its Café Chair Roots

CasaSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:30:46 -0700

I've never had any complaints about bentwood (quite the fan, actually), but I'm impressed to see it showing up in places other than café chairs and coat trees. That's right, the technique most often associated with furniture is now being used to seat your hot coffee. This Veer Coffee Cuff ($59) is like a Flip & Tumble bag for your caffeine fix — you can take it with you on-the-go without sacrificing your chic style. I don't think the hand-shaped reclaimed black walnut veneer cuff, which doubles as a coffee cup sleeve is what Michael Thonet had in mind when he started manufacturing bentwood in the 1800s. It's certainly inventive, though, and handsome around your wrist, too!

How-To: Clean a Coffee Maker

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 06:00:41 -0700

Drip coffee makers should be cleaned monthly to keep your coffee tasting delicieux. This How To, which is pretty similar to my tip on cleaning a microwave, will get rid of hard water mineral deposits, oils left over from previous pots, and any impurities that infringe on your coffee's good taste. There's no reason to put up with anything less than perfection; making your coffee maker so fresh and so clean is a cinch. To learn how to clean up your caffeine fix, read more

Remove and toss your coffee filter, if there's one in there.
Fill the water reservoir with 1/4 vinegar, 3/4 water.
Run the coffee maker.
Turn it off and then leave it to cool for 10 minutes.
Repeat steps 2-4 with a new vinegar/water mixture.
Run plain water through the coffee maker, and leave it to cool for 10 minutes.
Repeat step 6.
Remember to clean again next month!

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What's Your Coffee Table Style?

CasaSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:15:26 -0800

At my house, I often pile coffee table books, magazines, and decorative objects on my coffee table. Of course, I try to keep it tidy through the use of trays, but sometimes the number of things on my coffee table gets a little overwhelming. While I admire the minimalist look, it's just not my style. What's yours?

Photograph by Tom Evangelidis

Good, Better, Best: Magazine Rack Coffee Tables

CasaSugar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:08:27 -0800

It's always nice to have a 2-in-1. Shampoo+Conditioner. Boyfriend/Roommate. The possibilities are endless, and they certainly come in handy when you're trying to save space. One place in the home which easily collects clutter is the coffee table, so I was ecstatic to see some great magazine rack/coffee table combos out there.

Good:
This Magtable Coffee Table ($158 ) has been around the block a few times lately in the blog world. And you know why? Because it's a cheap catch, and it has slots for all of your monthly subscriptions, even the ones you've been hording since last year.

Two even sweeter magracktables follow, so read more

Better:
This playful sophisticate known as the Magino Coffee Table ($698 ) is made of an inch of clear acrylic, offering an unobstructed view of your mag collection which can sit inside of its U-shaped table legs.

Best: It was a tough decision deciding which beautiful coffee table would be "better" and which would be "best". That is, until I read that this Offi Magazine Table ($149) can be flipped on its side to become not only a magazine rack/coffee table, but also a laptop stand. For $550 less than my "better" pick, you can have a 3-in-1. What more could you really ask for from a table?

Casa Craving Challenge: Coffee Tables and Cool Alternatives

CasaSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:45:09 -0700

I'm happy to report that I finally banished our gigantic, awkward, and heavy coffee table to the basement (where it awaits its future owner, who will find it on Craigslist). But now that I've finally rid myself of that albatross, I'm at a loss for somewhere to put that shelter mag and glass of wine.

That's why for this week's Casa Craving Challenge, I'm asking you to hunt down and bookmark your favorite coffee tables. And they don't even have to be coffee tables per say: ottomans, benches, and other objects are fair game as well! Show me all of your fab finds by creating Casa Cravings and tagging them with the phrase cool coffee tables. I'll feature the results next Wednesday, Mar. 19. Please let me know if you have any questions.

For a list of online home stores to try, read more.

Amazon Home
Bed Bath & Beyond
CB2
Crate & Barrel
Design Within Reach
Etsy
Gump's
Ikea
Jonathan Adler
Lekker Home
Linens and Things
Macy's Home
Pottery Barn
Restoration Hardware
Room & Board
Target
Urban Outfitters
Unica Home
West Elm
World Market

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Weird Furniture: Modern Pipe Coffee Table

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:30:03 -0800

Timothy Adams, a self-taught metal artist hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, designed this Modern Pipe Coffee Table, which moonlights as a bench "in the right setting." It's made from steel pipes that were hand-cut and welded and finished with a clear coat to prevent rusting. Personally, I feel that a little rust could do this tabench good. What about you? Would you lay your November ELLE Décor on this?